The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 4 eBook

proceeded to where her husband lay on the Earth and
addressing him, said, ’Rise, O dear lord, thou
occupiest the foremost place in the affections of
the Kuru king (Yudhishthira). Here is that steed
of thine. It has been set free by me. Verily,
O puissant one, this sacrificial steed of king Yudhishthira
the just, should be followed by thee. Why then
dost thou lie still on the Earth? My life-breaths
depend on thee, O delighter of the Kurus. How
is it that he who is the giver of other people’s
life-breaths casts off his own life-breaths today?
Behold, O Ulupi, this goodly sight of thy husband
lying prostrate on the ground. How is it that
thou dost not grieve, having caused him to be slain
through my son when thou didst excite with thy words?
It is fit that this boy should succumb to the power
of death and lie thus on the ground beside his own
sire. Oh, let Vijaya, let him that is called
Gudakesa, let this hero with reddish eyes, come back
O life. O blessed lady, polygamy is not fault
with men. Women only incur fault by taking more
than one husband. Do not, therefore, harbour such
thoughts (of vengeance).[196] This relationship was
ordained by the Supreme ordainer himself. It
is, besides, an eternal and unchangeable one.
Do thou attend to that relationship. Let thy union
(with Dhananjaya) be made true. If, having slain
thy husband through my son, thou dost not revive him
today before my eyes, I shall then cast off my life-breaths.
Without doubt, O reverend lady, afflicted as I am with
grief and deprived as I am of both husband and son,
I shall sit here today in Praya in thy very sight!’
Having said so unto the daughter of the snake chief,
who was a co-wife with her to Arjuna, the princess
Chaitravahini sat in Praya, O king, restraining speech.’[197]

“Vaisampayana continued, ’Ceasing to lament,
the cheerless queen, taking upon her lap the feet
of her husband, sat there, sighing heavily and wishing
also the restoration of her son to life. King
Vabhruvahana then, regaining consciousness, saw his
mother seated in that guise on the field of battle.
Addressing her he said, ’What can be more painful
than the sight of my mother, who has been brought
up in luxury, lying on the bare ground beside her
heroic husband stretched thereon? Alas, this slayer
of all foes, this foremost of all wielders of weapons,
hath been slain by me in battle, It is evident that
men do not die till their hour comes.[198] Oh, the
heart of this princess seems to be very hard since
it does not break even at the sight of her mighty-armed
and broad-chested husband lying dead on the ground.
It is evident that one does not die till one’s
hour comes, since neither myself, nor my mother is
deprived of life (at even such a sight). Alas,
alas, the golden coat of mail of this foremost hero
of Kuru’s race, slain by me, his son, knowingly,
is lying on the ground, cut off from his body.
Alas, ye Brahmanas, behold my heroic sire lying prostrate
on the Earth, on a hero’s bed, slain by his son.